Mikko Kolehmainen
Encyclopedia
Mikko Yrjö Ilmari Kolehmainen (born August 18, 1964 in Mikkeli
) is a Finnish
sprint canoer
who competed from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won the gold medal in the K-1 500 m event at Barcelona
in 1992
. Kolehmainen's victory was Finland's only gold medal at those games.
By now established as Finland's strongest kayak sprinter, he concentrated in the K-1 500 m discipline. Although a respected competitor at international regattas he never really threatened the top paddlers for the major prizes. At the 1991 World Championships
in Paris
he finished a creditable seventh.
It was therefore a major shock when, at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992
, he won the K-1 500 m gold medal. His victory over reigning champion Zsolt Gyulay of Hungary
gave Finland their only gold medal of an otherwise disappointing Games.
A year later he showed that his Barcelona performance was no fluke by winning the world championship
K-1 500 m title in Copenhagen
. At his farewell Olympics, in Atlanta in 1996
he finished in seventh place, and carried the flag at the opening ceremony.
Mikkeli
Mikkeli is a town and municipality in Finland. It is located in what used to be the province of Eastern Finland and is part of the Southern Savonia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water...
) is a Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
sprint canoer
Canoe racing
This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
who competed from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. Competing in four Summer Olympics, he won the gold medal in the K-1 500 m event at Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
in 1992
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
. Kolehmainen's victory was Finland's only gold medal at those games.
By now established as Finland's strongest kayak sprinter, he concentrated in the K-1 500 m discipline. Although a respected competitor at international regattas he never really threatened the top paddlers for the major prizes. At the 1991 World Championships
1991 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1991 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Paris, France.The men's competition consisted of eight Canadian and nine kayak events. Five events were held for the women, all in kayak...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
he finished a creditable seventh.
It was therefore a major shock when, at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, he won the K-1 500 m gold medal. His victory over reigning champion Zsolt Gyulay of Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
gave Finland their only gold medal of an otherwise disappointing Games.
A year later he showed that his Barcelona performance was no fluke by winning the world championship
1993 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1993 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Copenhagen, Denmark for the third time. The Danish city had hosted the event previously in 1950 and 1970....
K-1 500 m title in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. At his farewell Olympics, in Atlanta in 1996
Canoeing at the 1996 Summer Olympics
The canoeing competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics was composed of 16 events in two disciplines, slalom and sprint...
he finished in seventh place, and carried the flag at the opening ceremony.